Arsène Wenger says he wants only a stop-gap solution should Nicklas Bendtner
be ruled out for more than three weeks and Dimitar Berbatov is not on his
list

Arsène Wenger has admitted Arsenal are more likely to be bargain hunters than big spenders in the January transfer window as he decides whether to look for a new striker.

Wenger was waiting for the results of Friday's scan on Nicklas Bendtner before fully committing to buying a centre-forward.

Arsenal’s manager confirmed he would have to recruit reinforcements if Bendtner’s ankle injury keeps him out for more than three weeks, having found himself down to one recognised striker for Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

But he warned Arsenal supporters not to expect a long-term solution, citing the difficulty of making such signings in January. He said: “You can find a solution somewhere, a club that has financial trouble and wants to get rid of a big contract for five or six months. But to find in January exactly the player who will be tomorrow’s star on the longer term is much more difficult.”

Wenger denied he had already identified Dimitar Berbatov as the man to help on a short-term basis amid reports he was lining up a move for the Fulham striker. “He is not a name that we have considered at the moment,” Wenger said. “We have not even been out on the transfer market, we have not contacted anybody.”

The Berbatov rumours were given currency after a video appeared on the player’s official Facebook page entitled “Could Fire Arsenal to the Title”, although Fulham insisted he did not run the account.

If that was a taste of what could be, Wenger will be afforded a glimpse of what might have been today when Emmanuel Adebayor returns to the Emirates.

Adebayor was among the first Arsenal players to quit the club for Manchester City in 2009 and has had a chequered career since.

“Only he can say whether he regrets leaving,” said Wenger of a player Arsenal fans have never forgiven. “I don’t want him to get stick, I just want us to play well. When players come back to the club, you want them to be respected.”

After being frozen out by Andre Villas-Boas this season, Adebayor has been instrumental in Tottenham’s revival under Tim Sherwood, scoring four goals in five games.

Wenger has more than 40 of these derbies under his belt, during which time Spurs have sacked nine managers. “Stability is important if you want to create a style of play, an educational style in your club and if you want financial stability,” said Wenger, who pointed out Sherwood had been given a contract “only for 18 months”.

Arsenal lead the Premier League, with Tottenham sixth, and Wenger promised not to let their title charge unduly influence his team selection today, having lost to Championship Blackburn Rovers last year, but admitted he may rest some players and will probably be without playmaker Mesut Özil, who faced a late fitness test on Friday.